Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Lecture 2
Coordinators
Fragment
Run-on
What is a sentence?
What is a sentence?
Subject
What is a sentence?
Subject
Predicate (verb & modifiers, object(s), etc.)
What is a sentence?
Subject
Predicate: verb & modifiers, object(s), etc.
Starts with a capital letter, ends with a period
What is a sentence?
Subject
Predicate: verb & modifiers, object(s), etc.
Starts with a capital letter, ends with a period
Expresses a complete thought
What is a complete thought?
What is a complete thought?
It can stand alone
What is a complete thought?
It can stand alone
It doesn’t need another clause to explain it
What is a complete thought?
It can stand alone
It doesn’t need another clause to explain it
Certain words can make a complete thought
less complete:
What is a complete thought?
It can stand alone
It doesn’t need another clause to explain it
Certain words can make a complete thought
less complete:
Examples--after, although, as, as if, because,
before, even if, even though, if, in order to,
since, though, unless, until, whatever, when,
whenever, whether, and while
What is a complete thought?
It can stand alone
It doesn’t need another clause to explain it
Certain words can make a complete thought
less complete:
Examples--after, although, as, as if, because,
before, even if, even though, if, in order to,
since, though, unless, until, whatever, when,
whenever, whether, and while
These words can make an independent
clause into a dependent clause
Make sure you know the difference
Make sure you know the difference
Independent clause: subject and predicate
and can stand alone
Make sure you know the difference
Independent clause: subject and predicate
and can stand alone
Dependent clause: subject and predicate and
cannot stand alone
All sentences are not created equal
All sentences are not created equal
There are simple sentences: one
independent clause
All sentences are not created equal
There are simple sentences: one
independent clause
“The student in the library read many
interesting books.”
All sentences are not created equal
There are simple sentences: one
independent clause
“The student in the library read many
interesting books.”
There are compound sentences: two
independent clauses joined by a coordinating
conjunction (and, or, but, for, nor)
All sentences are not created equal
There are simple sentences: one
independent clause
“The student in the library read many
interesting books.”
There are compound sentences: two
independent clauses joined by a coordinating
conjunction (and, or, but, for, nor)
“The student in the library read many
interesting books, but none provided the
information needed for the research paper.”
All sentences are not created equal
There are complex sentences: an
independent clause and a dependent clause,
joined by a subordinating conjunction
All sentences are not created equal
There are complex sentences: an
independent clause and a dependent clause,
joined by a subordinating conjunction
Although the student in the library read many
interesting books, none provided the
information needed for the research paper.”
All sentences are not created equal
There are complex sentences: an
independent clause and a dependent clause,
joined by a subordinating conjunction
Although the student in the library read many
interesting books, none provided the
information needed for the research paper.”
There are compound-complex sentences: two
independent clauses and at least one
dependent clause
All sentences are not created equal
Although the student in the library read many
interesting books, none provided the
information needed for the research paper,
and she began to despair.”
All sentences are not created equal
Although the student in the library read many
interesting books, none provided the
information needed for the research paper,
and she began to despair.”
The dependent clause: Although the student
in the library read many interesting books
All sentences are not created equal
Although the student in the library read many
interesting books, none provided the
information needed for the research paper,
and she began to despair.”
The dependent clause: Although the student
in the library read many interesting books
First independent clause: none provided the
information needed for the research paper
All sentences are not created equal
Although the student in the library read many
interesting books, none provided the
information needed for the research paper,
and she began to despair.”
The dependent clause: Although the student
in the library read many interesting books
First independent clause: none provided the
information needed for the research paper
Second independent clause: and she began
to despair.
Why does any of this matter?
Why does any of this matter?
Editors must spot and fix two kinds of errors
Why does any of this matter?
Editors must spot and fix two kinds of errors
Sentences that are “too short” (sentence
fragments)
Why does any of this matter?
Editors must spot and fix two kinds of errors
Sentences that are “too short” (sentence
fragments)
Sentences that are “too long” (comma splices
or run-ons)
Why does any of this matter?
Editors must spot and fix two kinds of errors
Sentences that are “too short” (sentence
fragments)
Sentences that are “too long” (comma splices
or run-ons)
WARNING: A long sentence is not
necessarily a run-on sentence
Sentence fragments
Sentence fragments
May be missing something
Sentence fragments
May be missing something
Walking down the path that ran along the
river.
Sentence fragments
May be missing something
Walking down the path that ran along the
river.
May be a dependent clause
Sentence fragments
May be missing something
Walking down the path that ran along the
river.
May be a dependent clause
Which is the reason why I was always
confused
Sentence fragments
May be missing something
Walking down the path that ran along the
river.
May be a dependent clause
Which is the reason why I was always
confused
Although I always come to class
Run-on sentence
“Too long”
Run-on sentence
“Too long”
Contains more than one independent clause
Run-on sentence
“Too long”
Contains more than one independent clause
But lacks proper punctuation
Run-on sentence
“Too long”
Contains more than one independent clause
But lacks proper punctuation
John read the book he liked it a lot.
Run-on sentence
“Too long”
Contains more than one independent clause
But lacks proper punctuation
John read the book he liked it a lot.
John read the book. He liked it a lot.
Run-on sentence
“Too long”
Contains more than one independent clause
But lacks proper punctuation
John read the book he liked it a lot.
John read the book. He liked it a lot.
It’s snowing outside let’s go play.
Run-on sentence
“Too long”
Contains more than one independent clause
But lacks proper punctuation
John read the book he liked it a lot.
John read the book. He liked it a lot.
It’s snowing outside let’s go play.
It’s snowing outside. Let’s go play.
However = but (not)
However = but (not)
But is a coordinating conjunction and can link
two independent clauses
However = but (not)
But is a coordinating conjunction and can link
two independent clauses
The man ate the sandwich, but he was soon
hungry again.
However = but (not)
But is a coordinating conjunction and can link
two independent clauses
The man ate the sandwich, but he was soon
hungry again.
However is an adverb and cannot link two
independent clauses.
However = but (not)
But is a coordinating conjunction and can link
two independent clauses
The man ate the sandwich, but he was soon
hungry again.
However is an adverb and cannot link two
independent clauses.
The man ate the sandwich, however he was
soon hungry again.
However = but (not)
But is a coordinating conjunction and can link
two independent clauses
The man ate the sandwich, but he was soon
hungry again.
However is an adverb and cannot link two
independent clauses.
The man ate the sandwich, however he was
soon hungry again.
Wrong, wrong, wrong.
However = but (not)
The man ate the sandwich, however he was
soon hungry again.
However = but (not)
The man ate the sandwich, however he was
soon hungry again.
Could be: The man ate the sandwich;
however he was soon hungry again.
However = but (not)
The man ate the sandwich, however he was
soon hungry again.
Could be: The man ate the sandwich;
however he was soon hungry again.
Or: The man ate the sandwich, but he was
soon hungry again.
However = but (not)
The man ate the sandwich, however he was
soon hungry again.
Could be: The man ate the sandwich;
however he was soon hungry again.
Or: The man ate the sandwich, but he was
soon hungry again.
Or: The man ate the sandwich. However he
was soon hungry again.
Skilled writers use a mix
Simple sentences are easy to read
Skilled writers use a mix
Simple sentences are easy to read
But can become repetitive
Skilled writers use a mix
Simple sentences are easy to read
But can become repetitive
Compound sentences add variety
Skilled writers use a mix
Simple sentences are easy to read
But can become repetitive
Compound sentences add variety
But can become long and unwieldy
Skilled writers use a mix
Simple sentences are easy to read
But can become repetitive
Compound sentences add variety
But can become long and unwieldy
Complex sentences provide perspective
Skilled writers use a mix
Simple sentences are easy to read
But can become repetitive
Compound sentences add variety
But can become long and unwieldy
Complex sentences provide perspective
But can be confusing
A simple sentence
Senior leaders of Al Qaeda operating from
Pakistan have re-established significant
control over their once battered worldwide
terror network and over the past year have
set up a band of training camps in the tribal
regions near the Afghan border, according to
American intelligence and counterterrorism
officials.
A simple sentence
Senior leaders of Al Qaeda operating from
Pakistan have re-established significant
control over their once battered worldwide
terror network and over the past year have
set up a band of training camps in the tribal
regions near the Afghan border, according to
American intelligence and counterterrorism
officials.
A simple sentence
Senior leaders of Al Qaeda operating from
Pakistan have re-established significant
control over their once battered worldwide
terror network and over the past year have
set up a band of training camps in the tribal
regions near the Afghan border, according to
American intelligence and counterterrorism
officials.
A compound sentence
But groups of 10 to 20 men are being trained
at the camps, and the Qaeda infrastructure in
the region is gradually becoming more
mature.
A compound sentence
But groups of 10 to 20 men are being trained
at the camps, and the Qaeda infrastructure in
the region is gradually becoming more
mature.
A compound sentence
But groups of 10 to 20 men are being trained
at the camps, and the Qaeda infrastructure in
the region is gradually becoming more
mature.
A compound sentence
But groups of 10 to 20 men are being trained
at the camps, and the Qaeda infrastructure in
the region is gradually becoming more
mature.
A complex sentence
Mr. bin Laden, who has long played less of
an operational role, appears to have little
direct involvement.
A complex sentence
Mr. bin Laden, who has long played less of
an operational role, appears to have little
direct involvement.
A complex sentence
Mr. bin Laden, who has long played less of
an operational role, appears to have little
direct involvement.
A complex sentence
Mr. bin Laden, who has long played less of
an operational role, appears to have little
direct involvement.
who has long played less of an operational
role is a dependent clause
Credit
Sentence examples adapted from:
Al Qaeda Chiefs Are Seen to Regain
Power
NYT, Feb. 19, 2007